In a side-by-side household refrigerator in which the freezer and fresh food compartments are closed by separate doors, air is circulated by a fan into each of the compartments and over an evaporator. The fan, various heaters, and various controls require electrical wires to be connected thereto. Thus, it is necessary for these electrical wires to pass through openings in the outer case of the cabinet, the insulation between the outer case and the inner liner of the cabinet, and the inner liner of the refrigerator cabinet.
This necessitates openings being cut in both the inner liner and the outer case of the cabinet. It is also necessary to cut a passage through the insulation between the openings in the inner liner and the outer case.
Accordingly, mechanical protection must be provided at each of the openings formed in the inner liner and the outer wall of the refrigerator cabinet to prevent damage to the electrical wires. It also is necessary to have an air seal at each of the openings to reduce migration of moisture into the insulation and to minimize air leakage into the refrigerator cabinet.
Additionally, when the insulation between the inner liner and the outer case of the refrigerator cabinet is foam insulation, it is necessary for the electrical wires to be isolated from the foam insulation adjacent the openings in each of the inner liner and outer case of the refrigerator cabinet. This is a requirement of the Underwriter's Laboratory.
One previous way of supporting the electrical wires has been to dispose an outer case grommet, which has the electrical wires molded thereto, in the opening in the outer case. Then, the electrical wires have been disposed through a slit in a foam seal of a flexible material into a longitudinal passage extending through the core. However, this seal must be flexible to fit within the passage cut within the insulation and still receive the electrical wires. Because the seal is flexible, it may be distorted during insertion through the passage cut in the insulation to leave gaps between the seal and the insulation whereby there can be excess heat leakage. When this occurs, sweat can form on the surface of the grommet, which is disposed in the outer case of the refrigerator cabinet.
To pass the electrical wires through the inner liner without damage thereto, a vinyl split grommet has previously been employed. Because of the electrical wires passing through the grommet, it has been difficult to properly seat the grommet in the outer case.
When the foam seal of the previously suggested arrangement becomes distorted, it does not have any seal with the grommet in the inner liner. Thus, this also causes further heat leakage problems.